Member Articles

6 Tips to Transition from Stay-At-Home Mom to Work-From-Home Mom

This articles was written by Brie Weiler Reynolds. Brie is the Director of Online Content at FlexJobs and a work-at-home mom to son, Jack, ten months. FlexJobs is the award-winning site for telecommuting and flexible jobs, listing thousands of pre-screened, legitimate, and professional-level work-from-home, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs. Brie provides career and job search advice through the FlexJobs Blog. Learn more at www.FlexJobs.com.

For the past five… ten… fifteen… years, you’ve been a C.H.O.--Chief Household Officer. You’ve taken time (perhaps a lot of time) away from your career to raise children, work that can be harder than almost any job, but that offers a lot of rewards. And now you’re ready to head back into the workforce. But after being a stay-at-home mom for so long, you’ve undoubtedly changed as a person, and your career field has probably changed, too. So, how do you transition?

One of the biggest changes in the workforce since you’ve been out is the prevalence of work-from-home jobs. Between 2005 and 2012, the number of people telecommuting to work has risen 79 percent according to Global Workplace Analytics. People work from home in almost every industry and career field imaginable, from teaching to medicine, accounting to customer service, and everything in between. Where do you begin your transition from stay-at-home mom to work-from-home mom?

Here are five ways to begin the transition:

1. Know what you want. You don’t have to be 100 percent certain, but take some time to consider all your work-from-home job optionsbefore you jump into a job search. What kind of profession(s) are you interested in? Do you want to go back to the same career field you were a part of before kids? Or is it time to try something new? Do you want a full-time role or something with a part-time schedule? Do you want to work for a company, or on your own as a freelancer? Once you have a more detailed picture of what you want in a job, you’ll be a much more effective job seeker.

2. Create a brand-new resume. Rather than trying to freshen up your old resume, start with a brand-new document. Include your past relevant work experience, an entry for the work you’ve done as a stay-at-home mom, and any additional activities--volunteering, taking classes, blogging, etc. that you think are important. Be sure to brush up on the latest resume tips and techniques, and choose a modern-looking format. Finally, don’t forget to add all of this information to your LinkedIn profile so employers can find you when they search online for job candidates.

3. Consider flexible job options like flexible schedules to make your transition back to work smooth for everyone in your family. Look for part-time jobs in your career field to ease your transition. Work-from-home jobs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from 10 or fewer hours per week to 40 or more. What’s your ideal work schedule?